I think she got it.

I was sort of more or less planning to write another ranty post today, because of all the Corona-related stupidity happening here in Germany right now, but I'll postpone it. Because guess who used the cat stairs today, with only minimal prompting?

Madam obviously wanted to hop up onto the desk, but she's having a non-jump day. So she only suggested a slight hop (not like yesterday, when she tried to jump but didn't get high enough, so she dropped down from having her front paws on the desk, but not more). So I petted her and tapped my finger on the stairs to get her to look at them, and maybe consider using them in her little cat brain... and she actually did look at them. And used them.

Minimal prompting, I'd say. Quite possibly next time, she'll need no prompting at all anymore! Of course she was properly praised and petted upon arrival here upstairs, and after some cuddling on my arm, she's now happily installed on her office cat bed, snoozing peacefully.